Kelowna company apologizes for vulgar sign after vandalism

A development company is apologizing after a vulgar message was spotted recently on an electric street sign.

The digital sign displayed a sexually explicit message, according to a photo snapped outside of Mission Group’s Ella building construction site on Ellis Street and Bernard Avenue and posted on Reddit shortly after Aug. 29.

Kelowna communications consultant Marnie Douglas confirmed the sign wasn’t owned by the city, and was rented by Mission Groups General Contractor.

“The developer was required to put up signage as part of the crane removal and they likely rented the sign for that purpose. If the sign is not locked, someone could get into it and tamper with the copy,” Douglas said.

And that’s exactly what happened.

ITC rented the sign from United who was responsible for controlling the information, Greggain said. A member of United did not secure the controls on the sign properly, which left the digital sign up to any passerby’s interpretation.

“Mission Group and ITC would like to sincerely apologize to anyone who may have witnessed this inappropriate wording,” Greggain said.